HEMEROTECA
24/07/2013
Marmomacc presents this year Marmomacc LAB, a sensory laboratory intended to offer exhibitors a chance to present their materials in a more immediate and interactive manner, shifting the approach priority from touch to sight.
The project, organised in collaboration with Centro Servizi Marmo, ranks as a genuine "technical-education" experience whereby visitors can interact directly with stone materials to understand the process culminating in the transformation of stone, from the creative stage through to the finished product.
A guided route helps architects, designers, students or operators acquire greater awareness about the use of stone materials, without overlooking aspects related to the processing cycle and systems for working and processing stone, with special attention on the applicational versatility of various surfaces in relation to specific technical properties.
The objective is to create a multi-sensory relationship between visitor and materials, through involvement starting from tactile sensations before moving towards the technical and aesthetic performances of individual stone materials.
Flexible stone: New paths in stone design
Exhibition of stone prototypes developed for projects by students of the Industrial Product Design Course at the Department of Architecture, University of Ferrara, academic year 2012-2013.
The course aims to instil critical awareness in students about the use of stone materials in contemporary design involving products, interiors and furnished outdoor spaces. After an initial introductory stage exploring stone materials in relation to their geological-petrographic characteristics and identifying their commercial categories, in-depth study turned to processing methods and techniques for such materials through educational visits to companies in the sector using a variety of processing systems, from manual craftsmanship through to CNC machines.
Following this initial experience, students investigated a range of stone materials suggested as a research topic, thereby commencing an exploratory path intended to design a product in harmony with the specific characteristics of the chosen materials and processes capable of revealing new aesthetic qualities. In this way, categories of products and design objects for further work were identified, from architectural components to interior and outdoor furnishing, everyday objects and lighting systems, etc.
The results, depending on their characteristics, were verified by stone processing companies which then agreed to turn the prototypes into projects. This made it possible to extend the learning experience into an advanced experimentation stage that will verify, once the prototypes have been defined, the compliance between graphic design model and the finished product. This on-going experience, which will culminate with the exhibition of these stone artefacts at Marmomacc, will provide students with consolidated skills by extending the learning phase from knowledge to know-how, while companies – on their part – will be able to implement innovative experiments in response to the new technical challenges increasingly demanded by the market.
* For further information: www.marmomacc.it
